Tips for Minimizing Winter Damage to Your Parking Lot

Whether your goal is to protect an asphalt sealcoat or the overall integrity of your parking lot concrete in Prince William County, VA, this task is made difficult by wintertime snow, ice and moisture. These particular elements are known to cause cracks and potholes in asphalt and concrete, which is why, every winter, parking lot owners must schedule regular snow removal services and practice preventative maintenance. Here’s what you need to know about your parking lot and wintertime issues and damage prevention.

Top ways winter can ruin parking lots

Recognizing the signs of winter damage is much easier when you’re familiar with the ways that winter can harm your parking lot:

• Expanding and contracting: Rainwater and other winter moisture that gets into cracks in parking lots will eventually freeze and expand. This causes asphalt to crack and pit and concrete to weaken.
• Salt damage: Deicing salt is great for traction over icy or snow-covered parking lots, but salts are extremely abrasive. Between snow plows and salt, your pavement will need some TLC and possible repairs come spring.
• Snow plow scrape marks: The city will send out snow plows on heavy snow days to clear roads and other surfaces, or you may hire a plowing company on your own dime to remove snow from your parking lot. Unfortunately, plowing can leave significant scrapes in asphalt and concrete. Consider a new sealcoat layer when warmer weather arrives.

How to protect your parking lot in winter

Winter weather can be beautiful and charming, but that’s not to say it’ll give your business’s parking lot a free pass. Before snow begins to fall and between snowstorms are the best times to prep your lot for the harsh elements. In fact, winter damage prevention in Prince William County, VA helps offer better assurance that your space will be safe come spring:

• Clear the way for snow plows: Snow plows are sent out to remove snow and ice from paved surfaces so they are safer to drive and walk on. This service is also an important step in protecting parking lots against damage. Winter moisture is not the only cause of lot damage, though. If trash cans, shopping carts and other items are left hidden under snow on a plowing day, the plow may run it over and damage your asphalt. Routinely remove all objects from your parking lot during winter, particularly if there’s a snowstorm in the forecast.
• Shovel often: Don’t let snow sit in your parking lot for too long—otherwise, moisture can seep into the cracks in your paved surface. Water has a knack for freezing and expanding, making existing cracks and potholes worse, bigger and uglier. Shoveling away snow as soon as possible after a snowstorm is one way to prevent excessive damage.
• Repair visible damage early: Ideally, you should repair cracks and potholes in your parking lot before snow arrives. Call a professional for help with repairs at any time of the year.

Contact the team at Paveco Inc. today for more information about parking lot concrete installation or maintenance in Prince William County, VA, or to schedule a consultation!

Categorised in: Commercial Parking Lots